No Matter What

A Novel

By: Cara Bastone

Narrated by: Alex Finke

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Sometimes love sends you back to the drawing board.

After a traumatic accident threatens the foundations of their happy marriage, a couple tries to rebuild and find their way back to each other—and themselves—in this tender, slow-burn romance by the bestselling author of Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine.

“Cara Bastone is an absolute master of tender, emotional, soul-charged love stories.”—B.K. Borison, New York Times bestselling author of First-Time Caller

Roz and Vin can’t look each other in the eyes anymore, let alone share a bed. It’s been a year since they survived a life-altering accident, and their marriage hasn’t been the same. But Roz has held out hope that they can fix things, until she discovers Vin has signed a new lease. So she does what any soon-to-be-divorced Manhattanite would do: sign up for a figure-drawing class.

Between Roz’s determined attempts to improve her artistic skills and her adventures with her best friend, Raffi, she can almost ignore Vin’s impending move-out date and his footsteps in their previously unoccupied guest room. But it would all be a lot easier if Vin wasn’t Raffi’s older brother, and if she didn’t still find him incredibly, debilitatingly attractive and kind.

So kind, in fact, that Vin offers to let Roz draw him. What is she supposed to say? It’s probably better than her original plan of finding some random male model online, and she needs all the practice she can get. Plus, that’s sure to make a separation easier, right? Focus on every detail of your estranged spouse’s body while drawing him in the nude? But after the year they’ve spent avoiding each other, it feels good to see and be seen by one another again.

As Roz works to capture the wholeness of the person she fell in love with, will they both be able to draw upon the feelings they buried deep inside to finally heal together?

So good

4.75
I just love the way Cara Bastone tells a story. From the very first chapter my heart hurt for Vin and Roz. The emotions I felt throughout this story is something that I don't get too often while reading. I loved the way Roz was finding herself again, but also rediscovering Vin at the same time. Both characters felt real to me. The way they handled their tragic past was believable. I don't want to give too much away but get your tissues for this one. Be prepared for heartache and swooning. For amazing friends and a beautiful slow burn romance.
Thanks for the arc Netgalley.

Cara does it again

Moving, insightful, gentle. It was such a good story and felt so real and illuminating for my own story, though different. Glad this story exists and glad this particular narrator read this book.

Not a comedy, more of a tragedy filled drama

Cara Bastogne is one of my favorite authors, but I don’t want to read such a downer of a story, even if it ends up with an uplifting message. It’s just not very enjoyable getting there.
I have enough tragedy in my life, so I much prefer her more funny lighthearted stories.
It’s certainly well written for those who like heavy drama.

I hope she returns to her previous style, I will be so sad if I have to give up reading her stories.

OK

I loved the writing, but the story was just blah for me. I really did not care either way how the story went.
None of the characters were likeable to me personally. The PTSD should have been alittle more brought into
the storyline.
I really enjoy Cara Bastone books but this one did not do it for me. Sorry

Marriage Focused Romance

I love that this story was about marriage. I mean I love a nostalgic first love kind of story or a meeting the one story… but where I am at my life now, married almost 12 years, it was nice to read a story about working hard to maintain a marriage. I connected with it more because of that. Overall it was great. Promise me Sunshine was also one of my favorite books by Cara Bastone.